Combined hat-rack and advertising device.



No. 65!,858. Patented June |9,' moo.

W. M. HURLBURT. COMBINED HAT BACK AND ADVERTISING DEVICE.

(Application filed Aug. 2, 1898 (Nb Model.) E 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Witnesses I No. 65!,858. w Patented lune l9, I900.

- w. m. HURLBURT. i

\ COMBINED HAT BACK AND ADVERTISING DEV-ICE.

Applicationflled Aug. 2, 1898.)

(No Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet a i I hum-xl'oz Via/[Hard] a TI, i m

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VATSON M. HURLBURT, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ELMER M. HURLBUBT, OF SAME PLACE.

COMBINED. HAT-RACK AND ADVERTISING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,858, dated June 19, 1900.

Application filed August 2, 1898.

T0 (0Z5 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WATSON M. HURLBURT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and use f ul Combined Hat-Rack and Advertising De: vice, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates generally to hatracks, and more particularly to one combinin g an advertising feature therein, the object of the invention being to provide a rack in which hats or other articles may be stored and locked and at the same time display an advertising card or sign both before and after the storing and locking operations.

A rack constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly adapted for use in hotels, restaurants, clubs, &c.; but it can of course be used in many other public or private places.

The invention consists in a hat-rack compartment provided with a pivoted bail in the front thereof and means for locking said bail when in a lowered position and anadvertising card or sign arranged in the rear of said compartment.

The invention consists also in providing a curtain in connection with the pivoted bail in front upon which an advertisement can be printed and also in arranging a movable curtain in the rear of the compartment capable of simultaneous operation with the bail.

The invention consists also in certain details of construction and novelties of combination, all of which will be fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a view showing a rack constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view showingone of the compartments, the bail and frontcurtain being shown down and the rear curtain elevated. Fig. 3 is a view of the said compartment, showing the bail elevated and the rear curtain down. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the compartment shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail top plan view showing the connection between the front and rear rollers of the compartment shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a view showing a continuous curtain extending'from the rear Serial No. 687,538. (No model-l of the compartment to the pivoted bail forward of the compartment. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a perspective detail view showing the connection between the front and rear curtains illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5.

In carrying out my invention I construct a rack A, which consists of a series of shelves B, divided into compartments by means of cross strips or partitions 0, thus providing a series of compartments each sufficiently large to receive a hat, the said hat resting upon the shelf while contained within the compartment.

At the front of each compartment is pivoted an essentially rectangular-shaped bail D, and connected to the said bail is acurtain E, adapted to have an advertisement printed or placed thereon, the opposite end of said curtain being connected with a winding or raising mechanism sufi'iciently strong to elevate the bail and wind the curtain the moment the said bail is released from its lowered or locked position, said bail being locked by means of a suitable locking mechanism shown and described in an application filed of even date herewith, though it will of course be understood that I do not limit myself to the identical form of locking mechanism therein described, as any form of look which will secure the bail in its lowered position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4:, can be used.

In Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 I have shown the curtain E connected at its upper end to a shaft F, which shaft in turn is connected with a shaft G, journaled in the rear of the frame, said connection being by means of a strap H, andattached to the shaft G is a curtain I, adapted also to receive an advertisement, said curtain being provided with a rod or bar K, which slides in grooves L, produced in the rear of the compartment, and connected to the said rod K is a spring M, the tendency of which is to draw the curtain I down the moment the bail at the front is unlocked, thereby elevating the said bail, winding the curtain E upon the shaft F, and unwinding the curtain I from the shaft G, all these opera tions being accomplished by means of the spring M, through the medium of the shafts F and G and the strap H. By means of this construction it will be seen that when the bail is raised the rear curtain is lowered, thereby displaying the advertisement at the-rear of the rack while the compartment isopen, and when the bail is lowered and likewise the front curtain an advertisement is displayed and the rear curtain elevated.

It will of course be understood that the advertisements upon the front and rear curtains of the same compartment are preferably for the same subject-matter, though ditferent advertisements can be arranged, if so desired.

It will be readily understood that all of the various forms are clearly comprehended by my invention, which, broadly speaking, in-

cludes the use of a locking-bail in connection with the advertising-curtains at the front and rear of the compartment, and it is immaterial whether the rear curtain is stationary or movable.

The operation of my device will be clearly understood by every one skilled in the art to which it appertains and its advantages will also be apparent.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a hat-rack of the kind described, a

compartment having an advertising-curtain arranged in the rear thereof and an advertising-curtain arranged at the front of the compartment, said front and rear curtains being connected and adapted to operate in unison, but so that only one curtain will be displayed at a time, substantially as described.

2. In a hat-rack of the kind described, a compartment having a bail at the front thereof, an advertising-curtain attached to the said bail and arranged in the front of the com-' partment, a spring-actuated curtain arranged in the rear of the compartment, and means for connecting thefront and the rear curtains, so that one curtain will be wound as the other is unwound, substantially as shown and described.

3.'In a hat-rack of the kind described, a compartment having a bail pivoted in the front thereof, the front and rear windingshafts arranged in the compartment, the front and rear curtains attached to the front and rear winding-shafts respectively, a connecting-strap and spring operating mechanism, allarranged and ad apted to operate, substantially as shown and described.

WATSON M. I-IURLBURT.

Wituessesi NATHL. R. BRONSON,

HENRY W. MINOR. 

